Tribal Warfare
07-22-2010, 01:20 AM
Chiefs set for next week’s training camp (http://www.kansascity.com/2010/07/21/2099396/chiefs-set-for-next-weeks-training.html)
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
ST. JOSEPH | Team president Denny Thum couldn’t count the hours he’s spent trying to settle the Chiefs into their new summer home at Missouri Western State University.
His vision finally comes to life next week when the Chiefs open their first training camp in the state since 1990. Players report to camp on Thursday, July 29. Practice officially starts on Friday, July 30.
“It has been a long process,” Thum said Wednesday as the Chiefs and university officials unveiled the new indoor practice field that was the centerpiece of the exhaustive efforts to bring camp closer to Kansas City.
“I can remember the first trip up here in November of 2002 and looking at the facilities close to the Kansas City area, trying to bring training camp back to the state of Missouri during the Dick Vermeil era.
“This ended up being a great facility, a great community to work with in St. Joe. The university has been fantastic to work with. If you told me that we could get this completed in one year . . . I had my doubts.
“Every time there was a major snowstorm or there was a storm like there was last night (Tuesday), I didn’t think it was going to get done. It took a long time to get the final pieces of the roof on. Once that was complete, they were able to go to town and get the interior done. We’re excited it is complete.”
The Chiefs committed last year to bringing their camp to Missouri Western in 2010, but only if the facilities were finished. When last year they departed from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, their summer host for the last 19 years, the Chiefs inquired about the feasibility of returning for one final year.
That wasn’t necessary, and the Chiefs are hopeful of benefiting from their camp’s new proximity to Kansas City. The Chiefs have night practices scheduled for Aug. 4 and Aug. 18. The annual family fun day is on Aug. 7.
“I would hope we would see crowds through the week in the 5,000-plus neighborhood,” Thum said. “Hopefully, for our two night practices and family fun day, we should have crowds that are substantially larger.”
The climate-controlled indoor facility is Missouri Western’s advantage. In Wisconsin, the Chiefs canceled or rescheduled practice during inclement weather because there was no indoor practice facility.
“Having a climate-controlled building, which was so important for us in making this decision to move, helps us with the weather here in the state of Missouri,” Thum said. “In the long run, this is going to be great. There are a lot of good things in River Falls, and there are a lot of great things here.”
Coach Todd Haley doesn’t intend to use the building for practice except in the event of thunderstorms. His plan is to practice outdoors even in extreme heat, a move that should benefit fans who come from Kansas City or elsewhere.
Practices in the indoor building would be closed to fans.
“We’re going to have two beautiful grass, brand-new practice fields outside,” Thum said. “I think his anticipation would be to stay outside. We’ll be able to have our fans be out there up close and personal. Maybe the only times we would come in here would be if we have an electrical storm that would force us to come inside.”
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
ST. JOSEPH | Team president Denny Thum couldn’t count the hours he’s spent trying to settle the Chiefs into their new summer home at Missouri Western State University.
His vision finally comes to life next week when the Chiefs open their first training camp in the state since 1990. Players report to camp on Thursday, July 29. Practice officially starts on Friday, July 30.
“It has been a long process,” Thum said Wednesday as the Chiefs and university officials unveiled the new indoor practice field that was the centerpiece of the exhaustive efforts to bring camp closer to Kansas City.
“I can remember the first trip up here in November of 2002 and looking at the facilities close to the Kansas City area, trying to bring training camp back to the state of Missouri during the Dick Vermeil era.
“This ended up being a great facility, a great community to work with in St. Joe. The university has been fantastic to work with. If you told me that we could get this completed in one year . . . I had my doubts.
“Every time there was a major snowstorm or there was a storm like there was last night (Tuesday), I didn’t think it was going to get done. It took a long time to get the final pieces of the roof on. Once that was complete, they were able to go to town and get the interior done. We’re excited it is complete.”
The Chiefs committed last year to bringing their camp to Missouri Western in 2010, but only if the facilities were finished. When last year they departed from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, their summer host for the last 19 years, the Chiefs inquired about the feasibility of returning for one final year.
That wasn’t necessary, and the Chiefs are hopeful of benefiting from their camp’s new proximity to Kansas City. The Chiefs have night practices scheduled for Aug. 4 and Aug. 18. The annual family fun day is on Aug. 7.
“I would hope we would see crowds through the week in the 5,000-plus neighborhood,” Thum said. “Hopefully, for our two night practices and family fun day, we should have crowds that are substantially larger.”
The climate-controlled indoor facility is Missouri Western’s advantage. In Wisconsin, the Chiefs canceled or rescheduled practice during inclement weather because there was no indoor practice facility.
“Having a climate-controlled building, which was so important for us in making this decision to move, helps us with the weather here in the state of Missouri,” Thum said. “In the long run, this is going to be great. There are a lot of good things in River Falls, and there are a lot of great things here.”
Coach Todd Haley doesn’t intend to use the building for practice except in the event of thunderstorms. His plan is to practice outdoors even in extreme heat, a move that should benefit fans who come from Kansas City or elsewhere.
Practices in the indoor building would be closed to fans.
“We’re going to have two beautiful grass, brand-new practice fields outside,” Thum said. “I think his anticipation would be to stay outside. We’ll be able to have our fans be out there up close and personal. Maybe the only times we would come in here would be if we have an electrical storm that would force us to come inside.”